Dear Friend,
Some wounds are not easily forgotten. The words still sting, and the betrayal still feels close. The relationship may never be what it once was—and the thought of releasing the person who caused the pain can seem almost impossible.
If you have ever struggled to forgive, you are not alone. Letting go does not mean pretending the hurt didn’t matter, excusing what happened, or returning to an unsafe relationship. It means entrusting the offense to the One who sees the full story instead of allowing it to govern us.
Even then, we may not know how to begin.
Thankfully, God does not ask us to take this journey in our own strength. He meets us amid the conflicting emotions we may not know how to resolve. Through His Word and the work of the Holy Spirit, He begins forming in us what we cannot produce on our own. What feels beyond us is never beyond His grace.
In this week’s issue, Leslie Jones shares how God prompted her to pray for a woman who had deeply wounded her family. Her experience shows how obedience can begin before our feelings change. T. Windahl offers another picture through an encounter at a doorway that revealed why she could not get past an unresolved conflict.
Together, these stories assure us that the past does not have to dictate the condition of our souls. The process may take time, but the Lord remains patient and present throughout it.
As you read, may you sense His compassion in the places that still ache. May you also discover that He is able to lead you beyond resentment and into a life marked by His peace.
Encouraging you in God’s truth,
When Forgiveness Seems Impossible | Leslie Jones
What happens when the name you least want to see becomes the one God asks you to add to your prayer list? Leslie Jones shares the deeply personal choice that confronted more than two decades of resentment—and what began to change when she answered God’s invitation.
Pushing on the Wrong Door | T. Windahl
A strained relationship had left T. Windahl and her husband confused and unable to find resolution. Then a brief scene outside a store gave her a surprising new perspective on what had been holding them back.
Also:
When Forgiveness Seems Impossible
Forgiving God’s way.
by Leslie Jones
Shuffling through my “people to pray for” notecards one morning, I sensed God’s holy invitation to add the name of a woman who had deeply wounded me.
“How can I pray for her,” I questioned, “when it’s impossible to forgive what she did to my family?”
Offering forgiveness felt unreasonable. I had harbored hatred toward this woman for more than two decades and felt justified in my unforgiveness. I was doing just fine shouldering my backpack of bitterness, thank you very much.
Yet the Holy Spirit’s unmistakable prompting tugged at my heart. As I contemplated the idea of praying for her on a regular basis, my mind settled on a statement straight from the mouth of the One who died for my forgiveness.
